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National Register of (Montana) Historic Places
Questions? Contact Montana SHPO's National Register Coordinator.
Research, Nominate, Document a Historic Property
Nominating a property to the National Register of Historic Places is an involved process that will take several months. Read on to learn the steps for researching, nominating, and documenting properties.
ELIGIBILITY FOR LISTING IN THE NRHP
Contact Montana's NR Coordinator for help determining a property's eligibility. To be eligible for listing in the NRHP, a property must:
- be at least 50 years old
- retain its architectural integrity
- be “significant”
"Significance" can be on a national, state-wide or even local level, but must meet one of the following criteria: association with important events, association with significant persons, architectural/engineering significance, or archaeological significance.
RESEARCH YOUR BUILDING
There are many reasons people may want to research a building--we can provide guidance on how to research and document your historic property properly.
- Search SHPO's Historic Property Records
- Contact Montana's NR Coordinator to see if the property is already recorded or listed.
- Explore our guide to Article: Researching Your Historic Montana Property.
Take your research to the next level and document your historic property with a site form. Montana SHPO's new guidelines for surveying and documenting historic properties will be available soon! In the meantime, please contact the Montana NR Coordinator to learn more.
PREPARE YOUR NOMINATION
Anyone can author a nomination, but we highly recommend hiring a preservation research consultant to help you. Nomination authors should coordinate with the local historic preservation commission in your area and work closely with our NRHP Coordinator. If you are a good researcher and writer and know basic architectural terminology, you can use the following information to guide you in preparing a nomination form.
- Guidance on Preparing NRHP Nominations (nps.gov)
- NRHP Bulletin 16A (nps.gov)
- NRHP Nomination Form (nps.gov)
- Contact us to request a past nomination to use as an example
- *proposed article: Tips for Hiring a Professional Research Consultant
UPLOAD YOUR NOMINATION FOR REVIEW
Nominations are submitted to our office using the MCRD Portal. Select “NR Nomination” as the submittal type and upload the nomination as a single document compatible with MS Word. SHPO staff will prepare your nomination for review by the Montana Historic Preservation Review Board. If approved by the Board, nominations are forwarded to Keeper of the National Register at the National Park Service for the final review and decision.
Track Nomination Review
REVIEW BOARD
Montana's Historic Preservation Review Board includes nine history and archaeology professionals, and interested public.
IN REVIEW
The Board meets three times each year. Meeting details and nominations up for board review are included in the agenda.
APPROVED
Find approval outcomes for nominations reviewed at the most recently held board meeting.
LISTED
Find notices for nominations accepted by the Keeper for listing in the National Register.
